It's no secret to my close friends, that I'm a HUGE Swiftie! Most of the time, if you get in my car, Taylor Swift is playing, and I'm not sorry about it. My daughter and I were lucky enough to be able to attend night 2 of The Eras Tour! It was the best time and we traded so many friendship bracelets. When we came home, we created this DIY Lover/Folklore House Friendship Bracelet Holder to store all my daughter's Friendship Bracelets from the show. Supplies: Clear birdhouse (this one or this one) Lover House printable (Just search for this on Google) Friendship Bracelet printable Eras tour printable Moss Hot glue gun Scissors Glue dots pencil Directions: 1. Print your Lover House background and lay your birdhouse over the house and draw an outline of where you want to cut. NOTE: First, using Word, I cropped my Lover house to the edges of the house. Then, I resized the house to as big as I could get the actual house on the paper by opening it as a Word document, putting it on the landscape, and then using the ruler at the bottom to see how big I needed to print the image, based on the size of my birdhouse. For example, if the bottom of the birdhouse is 6 in, resize the width of your birdhouse to 6 inches and the height will auto-adjust to keep the house to scale. The dimensions of the house aren't quite the same as the birdhouse (the pitch is steeper) so you'll have to cut the top corners of the 1989 and Lover rooms but it doesn't really affect the overall look. Also, since the pitch of the roof is much steeper on the birdhouse so you'll probably have to include some of the sky at the top instead of cutting right along the roof outline. You can barely notice once it's all put together. 2. Once you've cut out your house background to fit how you like, use glue dots to glue the paper inside the birdhouse. I had to add a little tip of the night sky around the Lover House to the top of my house because the dimensions of the Lover House don't exactly match the dimensions of the birdhouse but you can't tell once it's all put together. (See the tip of extra sky I tapped in the top of the room by my fingers below) 3. Print the friendship saying printable and the eras tour printable (linked below) and cut to fit inside your birdhouse on the front and sides. I laid my birdhouse down on top of the paper and then outlined it and cut it to fit inside. Resize as needed to fit your particular birdhouse. Glue those inside your birdhouse using glue dots. *I created the Friendship lyric printable using a font called Taylor Swift based on her handwriting and created the Eras Tour stars to match the colors in the Eras Tour collage of images. Friendship Bracelet Lyric Printable Eras Tour Stars Printable 4. Now add a touch of Folklore! I measured and cut this moss mat to fit on the roof of my house. I glued it down with hot glue. Now, you can fill your Lover/Folklore house with your friendship bracelets, tickets, or other mementos from your Eras Tour concert! We had so much fun making our friendship bracelets for the concert! We went the opening weekend, so we were nervous that people wouldn't be trading them, but we traded with SO many nice people and had such a blast doing it! I highly recommend making bracelets for your concert night too! For our friendship bracelets, we mostly used colorful beads and these alphabet beads to spell out song or album names. We also used these glow-in-the-dark alphabet beads for some of our bracelets! We added charms to several of ours. One of our favorite bracelets that we made multiple ones of was this "Karma is a cat" bracelet with these cat charms on them! I hope you guys have as much fun making this project as I did! Do you have plans to go to The Eras Tour? Let me know in the comments! Shop Friendship Bracelet Supplies: beads alphabet beads If you're in a Lavender Haze mood, check out our Lavender Haze Cocktail recipe, the Lavender Lemonade, a refreshing mocktail, to sip on while you are crafting! And keep the craft party going with our Eras Tour Confetti Shadow Box DIY and DIY Friendship Bracelet Glasses Throw your own Taylor Swift Party with these fun ideas! Check out my party post.

These DIY friendship bracelet glasses are fun to make and cute to wear! Perfect for your Eras tour outfit, Taylor Swift party, or Valentine's Day goodie for your friends or besties! DIY Friendship Bracelet Glasses Supplies: Heart-shaped glasses Beads - I used these alphabet beads and these glass beads super glue tweezers - I used some old Revlon ones I have but use whatever you have or like I liked that pack of heart-shaped glasses from Amazon because they came in 14 gorgeous colors! You could probably make a pair of glasses inspired by each of her albums. But, we only did a few for my daughter's friends and kept the Valentine-themed phrases as well. Let's get started. Instructions: Once you've gathered all your supplies, decide on what color glasses you will create and what phrase you want on there. I picked out most of my beads ahead of time. The letters and the colors I wanted to go with it to make my friendship bracelet design. Choose 3 or 4 colors to create your design. 3. You're going to decide where to start your phrase or word. I started with my "be mine" beads about here (see above) and added a small line of glue near the edge of the top of the glasses. 4. I added a few beads at a time making sure to line them up correctly. 5. Once you've placed those beads, add another small line of glue and continue building your word. 6. Once you've got your word built, it's time to create the friendship bracelet effect by gluing your smaller beads in a line across the top of the glasses. I liked to pick three or four colors to create a pattern with my beads. 7. This part was a bit more tedious and required me to use the tweezers to get the beads placed how I wanted. 8. Imagine the glue is the string and place your beads oriented as if they are on string to get the most authentic look. One tip that helped me was to only do a few beads at a time and then let them dry a little bit before trying to add more. That way if a bead was crooked as I was placing it and I tried to fix it then it didn't mess up the whole line. TIP: You do want to be careful using super glue. It dries quickly and sticks to your fingers making it hard to work if you touch it. Work in sections and be patient. You can play around with colors, patterns, words, or phrases that you like. I did my Lover-inspired glasses by winding my friendship bracelet down to the other side but then I didn't like it as much. It's still pretty but I think I would stick to making my bracelet design only go across the top. But, maybe you want to make them look like bracelets going around each heart! That could be fun. One of my favorite designs to make was this King of My Heart-themed red glasses.

This easy breakfast casserole has all the savory breakfast favorites, in a casserole form. I enjoy making and serving this on Christmas morning. It's perfect to make ahead and keep in the fridge until you're ready to cook it. Just make it up the day before and then it can be baking while everyone is opening presents and nobody is stuck in the kitchen cooking and missing the fun! We have made many varieties of this casserole by swapping out the meat and cheeses or adding other things like mushrooms or tomatoes. This one is a classic and one that I come back to year after year. Easy Breakfast Casserole Ingredients: 28 oz bag of frozen Potatoes O'Brien (potatoes with onions and peppers) 1 lb breakfast sausage, cooked (I used Jimmy Dean regular) 8 oz sharp cheddar cheese, grated 8 eggs 1 1/3 cup milk 1 tsp Italian seasoning salt and pepper cooking spray Directions: Spray a thin layer of cooking spray in a 9 x13 glass baking dish or pan. On the stove, heat a large skillet over medium-high heat and brown the sausage. Be sure to break up the sausage as it cooks and cook it until no pink remains. Drain off any excess grease. Add the frozen hashbrowns to your sprayed dish. Top the hashbrowns with the cooked sausage and grated cheddar cheese. In a large bowl, crack the eggs and add in the milk, salt and pepper to taste, and the Italian seasoning (or other seasoning you prefer). Whisk together well. Pour your egg mixture over the hashbrown mixture in the pan. Cover with aluminum foil and refrigerate overnight. When ready to bake, set the casserole out for 30 minutes ahead of time to come to room temperature. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Uncover and bake for 50-60 minutes or until middle is cooked through. I put mine on broil the last few minutes to brown the top. We served ours with a little sour cream and fresh chives. Refrigerate any leftovers. Note: This can also be created and baked immediately. You can swap the sausage for bacon or ham and can use any other type of cheese you would like to mix it up.

My dog's name is Ollivander Hamilton Waffles. We call him Ollie for short, and a variety of random nicknames, as you do. Yes, he was named after a Harry Potter Character, Alexander Hamilton, and breakfast food! Since it was recently Ollie's birthday, I'm sharing a few of our favorite dog finds that he loves! Bark Box Subscription - He has gotten these on and off over the past few years. I've gotten them in different subscription lengths for his birthday or Christmas and he's always excited to open the box. It's fun to get doggie mail! The treats are hit or miss for him but he loves getting the toys out of the box and they're always a cute theme! He barely waits for me to cut the tags off of everything! Santa Toy - This is Ollie's favorite toy that he's had since his first Christmas. It's such a beloved toy that he keeps it out year-round. Does anyone else rotate their dog's toys? Licky Mat - Great for freezing a treat for later. We like to freeze Greek yogurt, blueberries, peanut butter, and a few nibbles of random treats or dried sardines on ours. Cactus Chew Toy - This is one of the chew toys that has lasted the longest. He had a different chewy cactus toy, but this one has stood the test of time and is the one he goes for when he's the most hyped up and really wants to play. Donut Dog Bed- He has 2 of these beds, one for his kennel area where he stays if we are gone for the day, and one in our room. He loves snuggling in this and I've even caught our cats sleeping in from time to time. Nosey Nose Game - This is a fun interactive game that stimulates their mind and gets them engaged. It's scentwork training and eventually, once they learn the scent you can hide it and they will find it. Did you see our DIY snuffle mat, that's fun for their noses too! Cactus Dog Baggie Holder - This cute cactus baggie holder was a gift from a friend when we first got Ollie and it's still our favorite to attach to our leashes for walks. Gotta be a good pet owner and clean up after them on walks! Portable Water Bottle - Perfect for trips to the dog park or hikes with your pup. We like that it's got a space for water and treats. It can be locked when not in use and then unlocked to fill the drinking reservoir for your pup to get sip. It also has a handle for easy carrying. Cooling Mat - This is a must-have for those hot summer days! Ollie loves laying on this when his donut bed is too hot. Waterproof Jacket - We don't get many really cold winter days here but when we do we like to wear this cute jacket, especially when it snows! I adore the plaid! Edible Dog Bubbles - You know how dogs are basically toddlers? Well, bubbles are a hit with both toddlers and dogs! Ollie likes chasing these peanut butter-flavored bubbles. Treat Puzzle - We like to keep him entertained and this tornado treat puzzle is a fun one we pull out every few weeks. It has multiple layers and he has to use his paw and nose to move the layers to get the treats underneath each section. There are even little bones that you can use to "cover" treats to be discovered. ZukesTreats - Of course his absolute favorite treats were a seasonal find at Petco that I bought one year around Thanksgiving and Christmas. Luckily, I can get these turkey + cranberry tree treats year-round on Amazon. Ball Blaster - He loves chasing tennis balls in our backyard and he goes bananas when we pull out this ball blaster from Nerf. We got the one that comes with 3 balls because even though he loves chasing them, he doesn't do a very good job of bringing the balls back. And just because he's my absolute baby, here are some photos of him enjoying some of the items listed above. He truly does love all these dog finds and that's why I'm sharing them with you, because maybe your pup will love them too! Be sure to check out our DIY dog snuffle mat and if you're a Harry Potter fan, you may like our Butterbeer Milkshake recipe too!

We're in the mood for all things Halloween and that includes our TBR pile! Our witchy booklist is full of magic, mystery, romance, found family, revenge, and more! Check out these 13 witchy books to read this fall! The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches by Sangu Mandanna - An orphan witch is taught to hide her magic away until one day she gets a message to come to a house where they teach young witches how to control their magic. She becomes part of this secret society. When danger comes knocking, the real fun begins. In Charm's Way by Lana Harper - Explore the effects of trauma and rage with a witch who has memory loss and performs a powerful spell to gain back her lost memories. It works, but she becomes a beacon for all things supernatural. This book is part of the Witches of Thistle Grove series but can also be read as a stand-alone novel. The Magician's Daughter by H.G. Parry - The story of a young woman named Biddy who washed up on an island as a baby and is taken care of by the magician. She learns to love and protect magic as if it was her own even though she can't do magic of her own. When the magic begins to dry up, the magician leaves to make sure the magic is evenly distributed. But, he's been keeping secrets and Biddy starts to question everything, Big Little Spells by Hazel Beck - The second book in the Witchlore series. When Rebekkah was 18 she was stripped of her powers and banished from her town. Now, 10 years later, she's back with the coven that presides over the magical world, but her return becomes sinister when they think she's a threat to witchkind. A witchy journey of self-discovery and healing Now she is Witch by Kirsty Logan - A lyrically written book about witchcraft, wise women, and folklore. Else discovers rumors of witches in the north are running rampant, her mother was accused of witchcraft, and now a stranger appears with a wolf in tow. Not tied to a specific time or place, it feels very much like a story told over time and has the feeling of being historical and modern at the same time. Weyward by Emilia Hart - Three separate stories that span generations of a family and we follow three women who are connected in many ways. Each woman has to deal with the expectations that society places on women in their own times and men who try to control them. We follow the women as they find their own strength and power with a hint of magic weaved in. Ink Blood Sister Scribe by Emma Torzs - When two estranged sisters are given the task of guarding the family's library of magical books, they work together and unravel a deadly secret at the heart of their family. Loyalty, betrayal, and the pursuit of magical power. The Rules of Magic by Alice Hoffman - Their family has been cursed since the 1600s when an ancestor was charged with witchery. Now, generations later, three unique children have rules like no walking in the moonlight, no cats, no candles and most importantly never fall in love. As the uncover their family history, they discover who they are, and are determined to escape the family curse. Two of the children in the family grow up to be the beautiful aunts in Practical Magic. The Only Purple House in Town by Ann Aguirre - Iris, who is terrible with money and who everyone calls the "chaos bunny" suddenly inherits a house from her great aunt. She turns the house into a B&B and it ends up attracting all kinds of misfit boarders who are of the paranormal type. This is part of the Fix-it Witch series but can also be read as a stand-alone book. The Witch of Tin Mountain by Paulette Kennedy - Gracelynn lives with her grandmother on Tin Mountain in the Ozarks helping her with herbal remedies. We get steeped in old folk magic following two viewpoints as a man moves to town and something seems off with him. Danger is closer than it seems. Witch of Wild Things by Raquel Vasquez Gilliland - Each witchy sister in this family has her own magical gifts. Sage's gift is that of botany and that causes her to have to work closely with someone in her past who broke her heart. It's a book of complex sisterly bonds, second-chance romance, a little bit of plants, and a lot of magic! What Became of Magic by Paige Crutcher - Aline is a witch who can talk to ghosts. She uses her powers in secret to help lost souls find their way home. Along the way, she sets off on a quest to find a town that doesn't exist, or does it? Full of magic and Alice in Wonderland vibes. Witches of Bone Hill by Ava Morgyn - When two sisters inherit a house they begin to have haunting experiences. They discover their families is that of witches and someone doesn't want them to have the house. They come face to face with an enemy that has been stalking their shadows for years and they discover the awful truth about what happened to their mother. Do they have the power within them to survive Bone Hill?

Now that Fall weather is starting to roll in, it is a great time to encourage outdoor play with your kiddos. Little ones enjoy getting sunshine and fresh air and these outdoor toys make outdoor play time even better. I have a huge passion for child development and I thought it would be fun to share some of my top picks for the best toys for outdoor play that help development. However, remember these are just suggestions. You know your child best, and what is developmentally appropriate for their current stage. All play should be supervised to ensure child safety. Be aware of sun safety (sunscreen & shade) and be sure to stay hydrated while playing outdoors, but most importantly of all, have fun! Best Toys for Outdoor Play Toys that Help with Development Sandbox This is a childhood classic! The sandbox is good for sensory development. Sand offers a tactile sensory experience and is a good way to work on fine motor skills by scooping and creating shapes in the sand. even helps with gross motor skills when kids balance or walk on sand. Remember to keep sand out of their mouth though. It can be really tempting for little ones. (For indoor sensory fun, try our DIY Moon Sand) Sandbox with umbrella // sand box toys with dinos // ice cream sand box toys Sidewalk Chalk Drawing and writing with chalk is so much fun. Help kids develop those fine motor skills and creative thinking by drawing letters, shapes, and artwork. Kids will experience their proprioceptive sense by learning how hard to press down to write with the chalk. Work on communication skills by asking "What letter is this" or taking turns naming and drawing different shapes or animals. Take your chalk to the next level by making our Puffy Sidewalk Chalk Paint. Sidewalk Chalk // Chalk holders // Ice cream chalk Outdoor Swings Swings are great for a full-body sensory experience. While swinging, kids are learning balance and body awareness which are both important senses for core strength and staying upright. The repetitive motion of swinging can provide some social-emotional benefits as well, that help calm the nervous system. Be sure to use an age-appropriate swing (especially with babies) as well as one that is secure and can't tip over. If you don't have space for your own swing, many local parks have swings. Saucer Swing // Baby and Toddler Swing // Surfer Swing Water Tables Water tables are especially popular on warm days. Kids can cool off in the water while playing safely. Pouring water, measuring, and watching water paths and droplets are all fun ways to play with water. You can even add a few drops of dishwashing soap and have kids wash all their little figurine toys in the bubbles. Water play promotes fine motor skills while standing at the water table and moving around it helps with gross motor skills. Water Table with 2 Levels // Water Tower // Water Table with River Path Imitation Toys Help promote executive function with imitation toys for "grown-up " outdoor activities. Toys like gardening sets, playhouses, push lawnmowers, and bug-catching kits help promote problem-solving and mental flexibility. You can help kids build their social-emotional connection by playing with them like working in the garden or building a container fairy garden. Garden play set // Play House // Push Bubble Mower // Bug Catching Kit Bubbles I love bubbles, especially for toddlers! I often give bubble machines as gifts because toddlers love making and chasing bubbles so much. Following bubbles helps strengthen their visual and tracking skills as well as attention. Running after, catching, or stomping bubbles helps those gross and fine motor skills. If kids are using a wand and creating their own bubbles that's even better because they have to figure out what angle and how much to blow to make the bubbles. Discourage tasting or eating bubbles though because while bubbles are minimally toxic, they can cause stomach upset if ingested. CocoMelon Bubble Machine // Mess Free Bubble Blower // Bubble Gun Wheeled Toys As kids get bigger and more steady on their feet, they can start adding wheeled toys to their outdoor play. Scooters, wagons, play cars, and tricycles are great for vestibular sense (balance) as well as motor development and strength. Learning a new skill like riding a tricycle can sometimes require some problem solving which is great for executive function. Always remember to wear a helmet and other safety gear while riding a wheeled toy. Little Tikes Car // Little wagon // 2-in-1 Trike and Scooter Balls Different sizes and shapes of balls can provide a variety of entertainment for outdoor play. Beach balls are a fun option for babies. They are lightweight, so they are easy to hold and toss with both hands. They can roll them around and crawl after them. Other balls such as tennis balls are good for as kids get older. Test skills like, can they throw them overhanded? Can they catch a beach ball with 2 hands? Even yoga balls and hopper balls can be fun to roll around or bounce on in the grass. Promotes stretching and can increase core stability by bouncing and balancing on it. Overall, balls promote body awareness and motor skills. Rainbow Playground Balls // Hopper Balls // Beach Balls Sports Equipment Kids can start getting introduced to sports equipment at a young age and start learning the basics while having fun. Providing small, child-friendly sports equipment can be fun for both parents and kids. Things like basketball hoops, soccer balls, lawn bowling, and a baseball bat and tee set, are all great things to help with so many types of development. From motor skills, vestibular (balance), as well as executive skills by learning how to play a game. Kids oftentimes will even expand their vocabulary by learning new words and phrases used during sports. Lawn bowling // Basketball Hoop // Tball set No toys? No worries! Always remember unstructured play outdoors is great too! Just running around a park or exploring a nature trail, encourages kids to use their imagination and creativity while they play! Have fun playing and exploring the great outdoors! Looking for more toys? Check out our post of Best Toys for Indoor Play that help development!

We moved over the summer and I thought it would be a good time to share our top tips for moving and packing that we find make our moves go smoother. Declutter as you Go We started weeks before we moved and decluttered small spaces when we had time. We would start with one closet or kitchen cabinet at a time. Things like our linen closet ended up being a storage space for things we weren't ready to get rid of at the time, but after having it in the closet for a while, we were able to part with things we didn't have a sentimental attachment to. This is a great time to sell things on local resell pages and make donations to thrift stores. Save Money by Packing Yourself If you can, pack as much as you can in the weeks before your moving day. We spent many nights and weekends packing up things we had in our house that we didn't "use" every day. Books, decor, linen closet, 80% of the kid's toys, unique kitchen items, seasonal decor, we packed it all. All the movers we called charge by the hour and that can add up quickly when they are packing everything. Also, you can take the time to purge anything you don't want and trash doesn't get packed with your belongings. I'm not even kidding, we've had trash get packed with our bathroom items in a previous move. It's not fun. Get Boxes from Your Local Community. If you really want to buy boxes, I suggest getting the same size boxes to make packing easier. Medium boxes with handles were what we used the most because we could move them easily after they were packed. But, we saved a lot of money by posting in local Facebook groups asking if anyone had boxes we could use. After our move, we posted "free moving boxes" in our neighborhood group and they were gone within an hour. Pack a First-night Box This is going to be the box you unpack first, but one that you pack last. Pack this box with things you will need to spend the first night in your new home. Pack things like bedding, pillows, air mattresses (if you won't have furniture right away), toiletries, basic tools (hammer, screwdrivers, scissors, or box cutter), first aid kit, flashlight, phone chargers, and important medication. Don't forget things like comfort items for kids. We let our kids pick two snuggle toys each a book and a nightlight to have that first night so that transition goes a little bit easier. Label Everything In the moment, it's easy to think you'll remember what you packed where, but honestly, once you get a stack of boxes, you start wondering, which box that item was packed in. Labeling helps so much when you go to unpack. And don't just put "kitchen", take it another step and put "plates and mugs" etc. so you will know what you are unpacking on the other end. When we moved we didn't have the same storage space in our kitchen and had to figure out what we wanted unpacked first and what could stay packed up a little longer until we could figure out what the new spot was going to be. Make a Master List Write down anything and everything you think of as you prepare to move. This could include things like calling the movers to confirm a moving date, setting up new internet, finding a cleaner, and starting water service. This list can be used by the entire family so everyone knows what has already been done and what can be done by them. Take it from us, call to set up as much as you can. We filled out an online water start service but when we signed the papers for our house, the next day the water was shut off and wasn't switched to our name like it was supposed to be. I had to call the company and found out their online forms were backed up. However, since I called she was able to schedule service to be turned back on that Monday. Luckily, we were still staying in our old house for a few days, but it was still a hassle. Schedule a Cleaner Whether it's cleaning the old house or cleaning the new house, moving is a lot of work and while we only booked a cleaner for our old house and cleaned the new house ourselves, it saved us a lot of time. We did general cleaning, but let our cleaning service do all the nitty gritty work and we had a receipt for our landlords as well. Take Photographs Not only because it may be your kids' "first room" or maybe it's your first home together. But, also take pictures of random things like how that gallery wall is organized or how you organized the shelves in the garage to hold all our holiday decorations. Create an Important Folder. Keep receipts related to the move in the folder and any personal and financial paperwork you want to keep safe. We got a zippable folder and kept pest control, lawn care, and our cleaner receipts, and copies of our recent bills so we had account numbers easily accessible, passports, birth certificates, things like that. This stayed with us and made it easy to know where important things were at any given time. Plan Meals to Use up Food Take the time to go through and see what things you can use up from your freezer, fridge, and pantry before you move. While you're at it, go through those spices and get rid of the outdated ones. We don't need to move things unless we have to. Make Time for Self-care Moving is hard and stressful and takes so much time. Make sure you make time to do something for yourself too. Go see a movie, have a dinner date, go for a hike, schedule a massage, plan an outing with friends. Whatever it is that feeds your soul and creates joy for you, make sure you schedule some time to do that. Yes, schedule it. Even if it's planning a day to put on pajamas early and watch a movie with snacks, make yourself a priority too. Best Moving Supplies: Medium Boxes with Handles Safe Box Cutter Packing tape Space saver bags Moving labels Foam Sheets 39 piece General Tool Set Tips for moving with pets and kids Moving with Kids Make sure you honor their feelings. Kids can get pretty attached to their rooms, neighborhood parks, friends, school, etc. If you're making a big move, it can be especially overwhelming for them. Allow them to express those big feelings and understand that they might be sad and excited at the same time, and that's okay. - Offer times to talk about those big feelings. - Get them excited to decorate their new room. New paint, new wall decor, new bedding, whatever it is, sometimes shopping and buying something new for their room can help get them to feel excited about their new space. - Let them help pack. This applies mostly to older kids, but let them get involved. They can pack their own toys in boxes and choose what they want to go in their first night box. - Do something fun once you move. We hit up our neighborhood pool pretty quickly after we moved. It was a good chance for all of us to destress and do something fun together. Moving with Pets First and foremost, know your pets. If your pet is laid back, it might be less stressful for them, but some pets don't like moving and learning a new place at all. - Make them a safe space whether it's a kennel or a room, with hiding space, while there are so many moving people and so much noise in their space. - Book them into a doggy daycare or kennel if you feel you need to. Maybe it's overwhelming to think about managing them while you pack and move. - Make sure you have enough food and pack their beds and bowls in the first night box. - If you're moving to a new town, make sure to find a new vet and get records sent over, especially if they are on medication or a special diet. - For our cats, we set them up immediately in the office room with a litter box and water. They had a desk they could hide under and on top of while they got used to the new smells and sounds of the new house. Moving is a lot, but you can do it, and it's always fun to decorate a new home!

In honor of it being my dog Ollie's birthday month, I wanted to share a fun dog DIY snuffle mat that we made! This DIY Snuffle Mat is a great way to add some enrichment into treat time. Sniffing is hugely beneficial for dogs. I read somewhere that just 20 minutes of sniffing is like an hour of walking time. It's good for their brains and is very stimulating for them. Then and now! Look at this baby when I first made him a snuffle mat! Supplies: Plastic Sink Mat Fleece fabric (I used about 2 yards total) Rotary cutter Self-healing mat Acrylic ruler I used two different colors of green fleece but you could totally do one solid color throughout, colors that match your decor, or a rainbow of colors! Directions: Using your rotary cutter, self-healing mat, and ruler, cut your fleece into strips that are about 7- 8 inches long and 1 inch wide. This is the type of DIY that can also be done with scissors if you don't own or don't want to purchase a rotary cutter. I just find the rotary cutter to be a much faster and cleaner way to make your cuts. However, this project doesn't have to be perfect and scissors will work just fine. 2. Take a strip of your fleece and tie it to your sink mat. I double-tied mine to just make sure they were secure since my dog was going to be digging around in the finished product. 3. Repeat these steps, tying fleece in the areas between each hole. If you're making a colorful or two-toned mat, make sure you swap the colors up to create a pattern. 4. Once you've tied all your strips, and covered all the spaces between the holes, your mat will look something like this. To use the snuffle mat, tuck small treats into and around in the flaps of fleece and let your dog have fun using his nose to search out the goodies! Ollie's favorite treats are these Zuke's Turkey and Cranberry Holiday Trees but your dog's favorite small treats or pieces of treat will be great! We like to use our snuffle mat when we're home but can't be very engaging. It's good for when I'm having to do work. This also makes a fun gift for dog lovers in your life!

When it comes to summer in the South, everyone has their favorite Banana Pudding recipe. You're pretty much guaranteed to find a banana pudding at every potluck or family function. This is my family's favorite banana pudding recipe. I am from Savannah, Georgia, and I don't know about you, but I've seen so many videos lately of the Savannah Banana's baseball team antics on my social media accounts. Their videos always catch my eye and it made me think of this recipe, so I decided to share it. I make this Southern Banana Pudding recipe every year when the weather warms up and like to make it for friends for special occasions like having a baby! Southern Banana Pudding Ingredients: 1 large box of instant vanilla pudding 8 oz sour cream 12 oz Cool Whip (thawed in fridge) 6 large bananas, chopped 1 box Vanilla Wafers milk, see directions on the pudding package *** Directions: 1. Mix the pudding and milk as directed on the package. 2. Add in the sour cream and mix well with a whisk. 3. Fold in Cool Whip. 4. Layer Vanilla Wafers, chopped bananas, and pudding mixture. 5. Refrigerate overnight before serving. Fun Banana Finds For more family favorites, try our Chicken Tinga Tacos!

Summer is coming to an end. Kids are starting back to school, and it’s time for Moms everywhere to celebrate the end of summer and embrace the routine again. Since watermelon is a quintessential summer fruit, what better way to celebrate the end of summer than with a watermelon sangria recipe?! We think it’s pretty perfect. We like making our watermelon sangria in a mason jar, because well, why not and plus it’s easy to take on picnics. Yes, now that the kids are in school we're encouraging you to plan a day date for you and the hubby. Play hooky and plan a romantic midday picnic for just the two of you! Pack a cheese tray, some watermelon sangria, and some chocolate to nibble on, and head to a local park or picnic table for some sunshine and fresh air. This watermelon sangria is pretty easy to put together and makes a tasty drink for a picnic. This recipe makes enough for one mason jar serving, but you can adjust the ingredients to suit your taste and serving size. Watermelon Sangria Ingredients: Sparkling Watermelon Water (this or this work well) White wine Rum Watermelon, cubed and frozen Mason jars Directions: Start by simply filling your mason jar with about 1/2 inch to 1 inch of rum, depending on how strong you like your sangria. Then, fill your mason jar about halfway with your wine. Next, add in your sparkling watermelon water until your jar is about 3/4 of the way full. At this point, you can stick your jar in the fridge or picnic basket for a little while until you’re ready to sip it. Lastly, you’re going to add in some frozen watermelon chunks before serving it. We cut our watermelon into about 1-inch cubes and put them into the freezer for a few hours before serving our drinks. Finish off your watermelon sangria with a few sprigs of mint – yum! Serve it with a pretty straw if you’d like or drink it straight out of the jar. Happy last days of summer! For more delicious recipes, check out our lavender lemonade and lobster rolls, both are perfect for summer!

Did you know that this August has 2 full moons? The Sturgeon Moon is on August 1st and the Blue Moon is on August 30th. We thought it would be fun to share some DIY moon sand. This DIY Moon Sand is easy to make at home for kiddos of any age. Yes, while it's a huge hit with toddlers and preschoolers, even older kids like tweens and teens can enjoy the sensory experience of moon sand. It's super easy to make, super fun to play with, and only takes 2 ingredients. Easy DIY Moon Sand Ingredients: 8 cups flour 1 cup baby oil Note: I used all-purpose flour for my moon sand. Directions: In a large container, measure out the 8 cups of flour and 1 cup of baby oil. I used my hands to mix this together really well. At first, it feels really weird. Kids might like helping with this part too, but it won't have the moon sand texture until it's all mixed really well so that it's evenly coated. Once your moon sand is mixed thoroughly, you can enjoy playing with it. Squishing it between your fingers or using little sand molds to create different shapes. Little ones will enjoy scooping and measuring and creating shapes in the sand. You can add little toys like these dinosaur figurines for another fun way to play with the moon sand. This makes a pretty good size amount of moon sand to be able to play with and make shapes. You can double to recipe for even more fun or cut it in half if you don't want to make as much. When we are done playing with the moon sand we make sure to close the lid up so it keeps our moon sand doesn't dry out. We have had our moon sand for a few weeks and it's still going strong, so I'm not sure exactly how long it will last. Shop Project Supplies: How will you play with your moon sand? Looking for another summer craft idea? Check out our Puffy Sidewalk Chalk Paint for outdoor fun!

If you're anything like me, Barbie dolls were a staple in your childhood. My friends and I played Barbies a lot together. I won't name names, but we even got certain brothers in on the Barbie fun! I made a DIY cardboard Barbie house as a child and had so much fun cutting and gluing "decor", aka magazine clippings, into my house. From pictures of rugs to art, and even kitchen appliances, Barbie had her dream house decked out! Once I had my daughter, she had her own 3 story doll house. Barbie had her own private pool, jacuzzi horses, and a convertible! Almost all of it was that signature Barbie pink color! The new Barbie movie is a chance to dress up and bring back that nostalgic Barbie pink! We've rounded up some cute Barbie outfit inspiration to wear to the Barbie movie with friends, costume party, or even incorporate into your closet for everyday wear. Why not embrace our inner girlie girl?! Barbie says we can do/be anything, so let's embrace that attitude! Barbie Outfit Inspiration by Rows Retro Love Glasses, Pink Earrings Set, Pink Tulle Dress Pink Ruffle Dress , Tweed Dress Suit , Hot Pink Dress , Pink Romper Barbie Girl Shirt , Barbie Party Shirt , Pink Barbie Shirt , Barbie 90's Tank Square Neck Top, Bow Crop Top, Off Shoulder Top , Sequin Shorts Criss Cross Halter Top, Pink Feather Top , Sequin Skirt, Leg Warmers Set, Pink Converse Shoes, Metallic Skirt, Barbie Necklace How will you add pink to your outfit? See you at the movies!